The Shining Seventh
by Tomorrow's Hero
Summary: Everyone has a story to tell, for better or for worse. Nowadays, everyone wants to hear it from the heroes, but the villains have stories, too. Some are tragic, some aren't. But stories demand to be told, and this is no exception. This is the true story of the Deadly Six, from a source who knows all too much on the subject.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everybody! Terribly sorry this took so long, won't make excuses. This here is what I consider to be my first full-length 'mainstream' fanfic. Not that my others aren't mainstream... or bad. I just want to make an impact here. Not necessarily a big one, but I want people to know I was here. So I'm gonna be writing more mainstream stuff from here on, for the most part. If you dislike that, my deepest apologies, but I feel like this is something I have to do. **

**Without further ado, enjoy _The Shining Seventh_.**

**The Shining Seventh**

**Chapter One: Shattered Pedestal**

_My name is Alken. Well, at least it was Alken. Maybe it still is. For so long they all called me Zenta, and I think it stuck after a while. Technically, I guess Demio still called me Alken, but only sometimes... and he called himself Zavok. Still, between Alken and Zenta, I'll take the former. _

_ Confused? My apologies. I'll back up a little._

_ Ever heard of the Deadly Six? Well, people say that they were monsters, horrible creatures who tried to leech energy from this world to strengthen themselves from within their prison of Lost Hex. They nearly succeeded, too; only through the efforts of a "Sonic," a "Tails," and an "Eggman," whatever those are, were their plans thwarted. Good thing, too; if the Deadly Six hadn't been stopped, they could have escaped to take their revenge, and I really don't want to think about how they would've done that. (Assuming they could have; as far as I know, none of them possessed the knowledge of how to bridge the gap back to our dimension... except maybe Master Zik.)_

_ But they used to be different. They weren't always monsters; they used to just be ordinary Altheumans._

_ ...I should probably explain that, too._

_ The Altheumans are creatures from a dimension quite close to this one. Millennia ago, the Altheumans discovered the existence of spirits that lived among them, powerful spirits capable of feats that could only be called magic. The spirits and the Altheumans developed a symbiotic relationship; during the birth of an Altheuman, a spirit would volunteer or be chosen to intertwine themself with the newborn, granting him or her amazing magical power. In return, the Altheuman's body would serve as a vessel for the fragile spirit, protecting it from harm. Once the Altheuman died, the spirit would be released to preside within a new host. With the combined power of the Altheuman technology and the magic of the spirits, a grandiose empire was created, spanning an entire continent. _

_ However, the balance between the spirits and Altheumans is quite delicate. It is a sin of the highest order to try to tamper with it in any way, whether it be removing a spirit from its host, inserting multiple spirits, or anything else of the sort. The punishment for breaking this law is beyond death; transgressors are transformed into monstrous, ageless beings known as Zeti, and banished to a prison in another dimension, specifically this dimension, known as Lost Hex to exist alone for all eternity, slowly going mad from the isolation._

_ How do I know all of this?_

_ People know of the Deadly Six; Zavok, Zazz, Zomom, Zik, Zeena, and Zor. But there was one more, one who overcame the poison of hatred and was freed of his curse, only to be cast aside by his brethren when he tried to help them do the same._

_ His name was Alken, and then Zenta, and then Alken once more. This is his story._

_ This is _**_my _**_story._

* * *

The metropolis was busy at this time of the year. People of all shapes, colors, and creeds mingled in a large, morphing crowd, voices intertwining into a senseless jumble of noise. Vendors ran their businesses on the sides of the roads, calling out to people to buy their goods and competing ferociously with the other vendors operating nearby. Pedestrians ducked in and out of buildings as necessary, some looking to purchase something, some trying to get out of the crowd, and still some trying to get out of the sun; it was an unseasonably hot summer.

Unfortunately, not all of the people within the crowd were looking to acquire something. At least, not through legal means. This particular city (Cleybsol, for those wondering) had something of a problem with thieves. Most of them were pretty young, kids with no parents who were looking for a way to survive. They formed into a bunch of independent packs, kind of like an adventuring guild from those fantasy stories I used to read, living and working together to scrap by in a land that rejected them like a virus. The vendors were their prime targets, and I'd heard more than one story about how they'd sometimes poison their food to get back at the people who stole it, something I wholly disapproved of.

I'd stumbled across one of the thieves' hideouts once by accident. It was a really sad sight, the way they were all crammed into such a small, dark space. Didn't exactly smell like a bed of roses, either. Sure, I barely escaped with the clothes on my back, but it gave me a lot of sympathy for the less fortunate. I made sure from then on to give a little food every now and then, whenever I stumbled across one of them.

On the other end of the spectrum, there was me. My dad was a governor for the trading city of Cleybsol, so we were pretty damn well off. I mean, we weren't exactly royalty, but we were only a few rungs down. We lived in a huge house, full of beautiful things like paintings and really old furniture and all that crap. It was usually pretty empty, though. My dad was always out on business, traveling to other city-states within the Altheuman Empire and making sure diplomatic relationships were still in good shape. At least I'm pretty sure that's what he did. I never really understood it all that well, just that he was always out of the house.

The only other person in the house I could really talk to (I used to talk to the servants, but Dad got really angry at me for doing it, and they never really talked back) was Demio, my older brother. I loved Demio with all that I had back then. He wasn't just my older brother, he was my best friend, and my protector. Whenever I was down, he'd always go out of his way to try and cheer me back up with some reassuring words or a funny joke. Demio always tried to protect me from harm, even if it meant a greater punishment for himself. I didn't always understand why he cared so much, so one time I asked him why and he bent down, looked me right in the eye, and said this:

"Alken, do you know why older siblings are born first? It's so they can protect the younger ones that come after them. I came first, so it's my job to protect you. That's all there is to it."

And that was it. As far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered. And I accepted it.

I never imagined that one day, I'd be protecting him...

* * *

It started just like any normal day. I awoke to a damn ray of sunlight shining full blast in my eyes, just like everyday before. Pain, by the way, is a great way to get someone to get up and get up fast. Probably a good thing, too; I'd sleep in until dinner if I could hold out that long. With as much effort as humanly possible, I dragged my heavy-as-lead body out of the big, soft, luxurious... no, no! Bad Alken! You're awake! Stay awake!

I staggered, still half-asleep, to the bathroom. Built into the wall were a pair of sinks with a large rectangular mirror on the wall above them, and just outside a door on the other side of the room was the outdoor bath. I trudged over to the sink and turned on the faucet, feeling drops of cold water strike the bowl and bounce back up onto me. I plunged my hands into the stream, cupping a good amount of water in them, and swung them back toward myself, the water splashing into my face and shocking me into a fully awakened state, and I stared into the mirror like I'd done so many times before.

Before I go on, I think it'd be a good idea for me explain here the appearance of an Altheuman. Altheumans possess largely cat-like body structures; tall, slender bodies, paw-like hands and feet, albeit ones with human-like toes and thumbs, long tails that jut out of our lower backs, and long ears not unlike those of a bobcat. We're also covered in coats of short fur, which leads me to another part of our appearances.

When Altheumans are born, their furless bodies are usually a dull gray color, and are quite frankly rather disgusting-looking. However, when a spirit binds itself to an Altheuman, its skin changes color to signify the type of spirit bonded to it, and any fur that it would grow henceforth becomes that color as well. For example, my brother Demio had red fur, as he has a fire spirit bound to him. My spirit is a light spirit, so my fur is a bright snow-white color. Apparently I caused quite a tizzy when I was born; light spirits are exceptionally rare.

Aside from that, the devilishly handsome Altheuman in the mirror possessed no real traits that would differentiate it from any other Altheuman. He was – I was a bit short for my age, and had wide hazel eyes and a mop of cyan hair. If I wasn't the son of one of the more important people in the city, most people wouldn't even give me the time of day. Honestly though, I'd almost prefer that; I've been dressed up and taken to more "important soirees" than I'd care to count, and every single one of them was boring as hell, with people as boring as hell and annoying as hell and uppity as hell... it was pretty much hell.

But I'm really digressing here.

"Morning, Alken," a deep voice yawned, jolting me out of my preening. A smile spreading across my face, I turned to see a most familiar red figure standing in the doorway, looking upon me with tired eyes.

"Hey, Demio! Have a long night?" I chirped back.

Demio yawned again and slung his arm around me in a one-armed embrace. It felt really good, snuggling up against his broad, solid chest, covered in bright crimson fur. "Yeah, work's been piling up lately." Demio was an assistant to my father, and his duties often involved things like filling out paperwork and taking messages for Dad. He always had a pretty heavy workload, but recently it'd gone into overdrive. I was lucky to see him a few times a week, if that.

"I was hoping we'd be able to hang out sometime soon," I looked up into his amethyst eyes, which usually sparkled with a brotherly light but lately were dim from lack of sleep.

Demio groaned. "Actually, there's still a lot I have to do. I'm sorry, Alken." Demio gently stroked my back with his other hand, the way he always used to do when I was younger. "It'd be nice, but time's a luxury I'm running short on."

"Yeah, you've had a lot to do recently," I agreed, pulling back to get some distance between us. "It just... it doesn't seem right."

"Well, we've all got our parts to play," Demio replied forlornly. "This is mine, and it kinda comes first."

I frowned. "Hey, what've you been doing recently? It seems like your work only just started getting so heavy."

Demio blinked, and looking back I think I'd rattled him a little. "That's... nothing you need to concern yourself with, Alken."

"But I'm worried-"

"It's fine, Alken," he replied, voice still gentle but with a slight edge now. It was jarring; I couldn't remember a time when he spoke to me like that. Then he continued, voice soft once more. "Now go get some breakfast. The day's just begun."

* * *

It went on like that for about a month. Demio kept coming in early in the morning – sometimes not until the afternoon – and then caught as much sleep as he could until he had to go out again. I wanted more than anything to ask him again what he was doing, but I knew he'd probably get angry with me if I did, so I held my tongue.

Still, it broke my heart. Ever since I was just a kit, Demio had been there by my side. He was like a loving, protective shadow who always kept me at the forefront of his mind, and I loved him for it. I loved getting to see him and have fun with him. In the winter, we'd walk at night through the streets when everyone was inside and just watch the snow coming down, with no one to bother us. In the summer, he'd take me on a trip – swimming in the ocean or hiking up in the mountains. One time we went camping, and I'll thank you not to ask me about that. But we had fun. I had fun with him.

Now he was gone, drifting further and further away. I realized just how much I'd been taking him for granted, how much effort he'd made to make time for me. It made me feel terrible, like I didn't deserve to have him as a brother. Maybe I didn't.

Eventually, against my better judgment, curiosity got the best of me. I decided to follow him, to see just what he was doing every day that kept him away for so long. I tried to assuage my doubts by justifying it to myself; I wasn't going to bother him or ask him not to go – that would be stupid and foolhardy – so it wasn't that bad, right?

I still don't know if it was the right thing to do, but it's too late to change anything.

All I can do now is reminisce...

…

I don't know how I expected it to go, but it started pretty well. When Demio left the house, I slipped out a window and tailed him from afar. I'd been home alone for enough hours to figure out ways to leave the house without the servants or anyone else noticing, so it was far from difficult. Plus, I'd informed the staff that I'd be out the whole day, so that they wouldn't be suspicious when I missed coming home for meals.

For a while, Demio didn't do anything that warranted suspicion. He simply traveled into the city and entered the governmental office that served as his placed of work. His work day, even before he started staying late, was pretty long, and since I had no idea when he'd leave, that only left me one option; sit in front of the exit the whole day and watch for him.

On the positive side, that incident granted me a whole new depth of respect for statues, for all the good that did me.

Around lunchtime, I decided to take a little gamble. The way I saw it, if Demio was actually still working here, it meant he still had his job. If he still had his job, it meant he still stayed the whole work day. Knowing that, I realized that I only had to come down here when he was about to leave for the day, and that my coming down here so early was a colossal waste of time.

I followed up this realization by strolling into a public bathroom and smashing my head into the wall repeatedly.

* * *

All right. Figured I'd skip ahead a little, spare you all the agony I had to suffer.

Around seven at night, just after I'd walked out of a satisfactory dinner at a certain overpriced restaurant (you know the one), I returned hastily to my post outside the office when...

A flicker of red crossed my view! Brain leaping into hyperdrive, I whipped my head around, searching frantically for that flicker. Gods, what if I'd just imagined it? What if Demio had already left? What if he hadn't left yet? If I missed him now, there was no way I'd find him again. The whole day would've been wasted! Those long, pointless hours of sitting around and staring at nothing and-

There it was again! Careful not to lose it, I honed in on the precious crimson flicker. As it came into view once more, I could recognize other familiar traits; a tall, muscular frame with long black hair.

It was him. I finally found Demio. Keeping my eyes locked on him, I weaved carefully through the crowds, mirroring every single move that he made.

I thought waiting for Demio was difficult, but staying on top of him was another story altogether. I swear to the gods, he must've gone back and forth across the entire country while I was tailing him. Hell, he probably did it repeatedly! He walked for almost an hour, and the whole time I had to stay in that little "safe zone" in which I was close enough to stay on him, but not close enough so that he'd detect me, and on top of all that, I had to make it looks _natural, _so that no one watching would suspect anything or do something to interfere.

And of course I couldn't just use light magic to make myself invisible – I'd used magic around Demio enough over the years that he could sense it, even from a fairly long distance. If I used even a small amount, he'd catch on,

Yeah, _not _something I'm looking forward to doing again.

And yet, the whole thing was just way too suspicious... I mean, more so than it already was. Demio'd always been so upfront about everything he said or did. He wasn't the type to hold anything back, no matter what the subject. What could he have been hiding that no one was allowed to see? It made my skin crawl and my mind race.

After what felt like hours (_hours!_) of sneaking after Demio and praying to the gods for aid – although I'm pretty sure they don't really approve of things like this – he finally left the city and came to a small cove hidden away in a nearby beach. To my surprise, I actually recognized this cove; Demio and I had found it several years ago. We'd deemed it our "secret place," and every time we came back to this beach we made sure to stop by it again. It was pretty well-hidden, so I always figured no one else would find it. What was he doing here? Was he just clearing his head?

Hiding behind a nearby boulder, I watched with great interest... and that interest quickly turned to shock when I saw the others.

Yes, other Altheumans. Four of them, in purple, yellow, green, and grey fur. They all watched Demio come to them with great annoyance on their faces.

"What the hell TOOK you so long?!" The purple Altheuman shouted. "If they find us, we're DEAD! Don't you GET that?"

"I know the risks we're taking here," Demio snapped back, his face an angry, spiteful mask. I could feel my stomach ache nervously. This was wrong. Demio didn't act like this or talk like that, and he certainly didn't hang out with people like this. He was my brother. I knew him... right?

"Why don't we just get going?" The grey Altheuman added nervously. "We've been cutting it close recently, and I don't know about you people, but I'm getting tired of pressing my luck."

"Oh, be quiet," The green Altheuman rolled her eyes and snipped back. "It'll be fine. We've been doing this for over a month and no one's found us out. I hardly think Demio's little mess-up will ruin anything."

"It's _Zavok_," Demio seethed. "You know the rules here, Zeena."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't talk about what we do here, don't talk about our home lives, and don't use our real names. I know 'em just fine."

"Then let's begin. Now." With that, Demio joined the other four Altheumans as they stalked further into the cove, leaving me alone in my confusion.

No... 'confusion' wasn't the right word. Gods, was there even a word for this in the first place? What was this feeling? Sure, there was confusion, but that wasn't nearly the only thing I could feel. Fear? There was certainly some there. Sadness? Maybe... maybe a little.

But there was anger, too. Plenty of it. And betrayal. A lot of betrayal. How could Demio lie to his family like this? How could he lie to _me_? I was his brother... I thought we could trust each other. I didn't even know at the time what he was doing, but the fact that he would lie about it made me burn.

He lied to me. Strike one.

He decided to join up with people like _this_. Strike two.

And worst of all, whatever they were doing, they were using _our _cove to do it. Strike three.

Screw the consequences, I was going to follow them, to see what they were up to.

...

Looking back, I think I got a lot angrier than I should have. It was a grave mistake.

I should have calmed down. I should have just left then and there.

Should have, should have, should have...

* * *

The apparently-not-so-secret-anymore cove was pretty deep – deep enough that very little outside light could reach the farthest point in. There, it was pretty much pitch-black. That, combined with its out-of-the-way location, meant that a person could hide out in there for a pretty long time and have a very, very good chance of not getting found. As disgusted as I was by whatever Demio and the others were doing, I had to admit that they picked an excellent place to do it. Realistically, the only way they could be outed was if one of them ran their mouth off, or if someone – like me – followed them there.

Making sure to stay a safe distance away from the group, I tailed them further and further into the cove. It quickly became dark, dark enough that it was hard to see, but I'd been in and out of that cove enough times that I didn't need to see my path. My feet knew the way to go, and so I walked on without fear of stumbling or tripping.

Just before reaching the deepest point of the cove, I saw a faint light just around the edge of a corner. As the five Altheumans rounded that corner, I instead hid behind it and peered out discretely.

Carved into the floor was a magical seal, its complex design ominously glowing a bright crimson color. Positioned around the outside edge at semi-regular intervals were four of the Altheumans; the green female, the grey male, a larger yellow male, and Demio. The purple male stood in the center of the seal, within the circle that the others had created. Looking upon the seal, something clicked and I realized with horror what they had created.

It was a conjuring circle. The kind sages used to summon spirits so that they could be bound to infant Altheumans. To create and utilize one without official authorization was among the gravest sins one could commit. I could only think of one reason it was here, and it repulsed me to the core...

"Hey, come ON!" The purple one shouted, breaking me out of my reverie, and I can't quite say I wasn't relieved at that. "Are we gonna DO this soon or WHAT?!"

"I'm with Zazz," chimed in the grey one. "I'd like to get this over with. Less chance of getting caught, y'know."

"All right then," Demio replied. He turned slightly to face the larger yellow Altheuman. "Zomom, I gave you the easy job here. Try not to mess it up this time."

Zomom glared daggers at my brother, but pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and after scanning it for about a full minute, started to read it slowly. The resulting syllables were strange and unnatural; it was like the speaker was jamming together syllables that had no place with each other. As a result, the ensuing speech was eerily broken and hard to follow, filled with breaks and hiccups in the strangest places. It didn't even remotely resemble speech, more like letters were being poured onto a table and arranged by a creature with no knowledge whatsoever of spoken language.

And yet, as the words – and I use that term _very _loosely here – were spoken, the sigil carved into the ground began to glow brighter and brighter. The eyes of all five Altheumans lit up with excitement and anticipation as the incantation slowly carried onward to a climax. When the final words were spoken, the seal erupted in blinding white light, forcing me to avert my eyes for almost a minute before they could readjust. And when I did look back, I could see just what had happened.

And in that moment, which remains crystal clear in my mind even though a century has gone by since then, I could see what my brother had gotten himself into, what all five of these people had done. And it was a sin of the highest order.

In the middle of the seal, swirling around Zazz, was a newly bound spirit.

The purple Altheuman began to cackle excitedly, and as he swung his arms I was caught off-guard by a sudden burst of air. He was channeling a wind spirit, there could be no other explanation. Creating a miniature cyclone at his feet, Zazz lifted himself higher and higher into the air. He threw back his head and laughed maniacally whilst conjuring powerful gales and tornadoes that blew through the cavern, howling as if they possessed their own minds.

"HOO! What a RUSH!" Zazz shrieked ecstatically. "I LOVE this part!" With that he swung both of his arms to the side, creating a colossal sphere of wind that surrounded him completely and buffeted the entire cavern. This was beyond sinful; it was getting downright dangerous! With such power in such unstable hands, people could be-

"ZOMOM, NOW!" Demio roared over the wind. Without hesitation Zomom whipped out the paper and read one quick sentence, and immediately the seal's glow ceased and Zazz fell back to the ground, landing harshly on the stone floor. The conjured wind spirit had been dispelled.

"Damn it, Zavok!" Zazz shouted, eyes bulging. "I was having FUN! Don't RUIN my fun!"

"Your _fun_-" Demio snapped back coldly. "-could have killed us all. We did not agree to start coming here to endanger each other. We agreed to come here for release from our stressful lives. Calling spirits may provide that release, but that is no excuse for putting everyone else in peril. If you cannot comprehend that, then you may leave."

Zazz just growled and stormed out of the seal.

"Right then," my brother continued. "Whose turn is next?"

But I wasn't there to hear the response. I wasn't there at all. I was running, running as fast as my legs would carry me and praying to the gods to run even faster. I felt sick, genuinely sick, and I needed to leave. I needed to get out and go some place else. I couldn't care less where.

My brother was a traitor. A _criminal_. Demio had taken one of our society's cardinal laws and dashed it ruthlessly against the earth like a flawed clay pot. And worse? He enjoyed it. I could see it in his eyes, and the way he spoke to the others. Demio truly didn't care if he was breaking laws, he just wanted to keep doing it.

Before my eyes, all of the beautiful memories I had built of my beloved brother had shattered. The countless, precious hours we had spent together playing and laughing were gone forever. All I could see now was that cold look on his face as he spoke to the others. The Demio I thought was real was gone. Only Zavok remained.

I didn't even realize I'd gotten home until I was running up the front steps. Even as I ran through the door and down the halls everything was a blur. Even as I burst headlong into the bathroom and sank to my knees, my view was unfocused. Just as it had always been...

**All right then. I'll definitely try to get the next one out faster. Since it's summer vacation, the odds _should _be in my favor here. See you next time!**

**Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again, everybody! Thanks for being so patient with me, it means a lot. This chapter here is where things start getting dark, FYI, so brace yourself for that. **

**Read, review, and enjoy, please!**

**The Shining Seventh**

**Chapter Two: Crashing Down**

I was throwing up.

Okay, I'm sorry, I wish there was some better way to phrase this, but I'd really rather not sugarcoat it or anything. It was what it was. I was literally on my knees in front of the toilet, and it just kept coming, one wave after another. Dark spots danced around my vision, because I was so out of breath from running and I couldn't breathe because, well, y'know.

Eventually, it mostly just became bile, and from there it petered out shortly after. When I was finally able to stop retching, I could faintly hear shouting out in the hall. I guess I was causing quite the commotion. Rising weakly to my feet, I staggered slowly out into the hall and was met by a few servants running up and fussing over me. I was still too distracted to make out anything they were saying, so I simply allowed myself to be herded by them back to my room. In a fog, I dressed myself and slipped into my bedsheets, and alone in the dark I allowed my thoughts to run wild.

I felt like a husk with nothing inside. Why? Why did Demio have to be the one doing this? What happened to him? Did those other bastards drag him into this? How? I remember hearing Demio say that they came together for, and I quote, "release from their stressful lives." Was Demio really so stressed that he had to resort to this?

Damn it, why didn't he talk to anyone? Why didn't he talk to me? I would've listened, really. Maybe I don't understand a lot about what he does, but I still could have tried to help. I could have shown him that I care about him.

Why did this have to happen? Why...?

It's not fair...

Hours later, I finally cried myself to sleep.

* * *

Everything was dim when I woke up. I barely registered the light shining in my eyes, just as it always did. The colors in my room were muted, more black and grey than any actual hues. Even the ambient sounds of nature coming through my window were no more than a low, toneless buzzing. My brain was running on safe mode; putting out enough power to function but no more than necessary. I lumbered like the undead into the bathroom and washed my face, brushed my teeth, and generally prepared for the day on autopilot.

My brain, meanwhile, was trying futilely to make my fragments of thought connect into images. Snippets of memories and thoughts were floating randomly in my mind, vague images and sequences that refused to fit with each other; Demio with the other four members of the group, the glowing seal of conjuring, Zazz forming swirls of air and laughing like a maniac, and so many more. Every so often two thoughts would come close, only to violently reject one another and fly apart.

I wandered back into my bedroom and sat down upon my bed, staring blankly at my hands. I felt... lost. Completely lost. I'd always felt like I'd been able to count on Demio whenever I didn't know what to do, but what was I supposed to do now? I couldn't go to Demio about this, and I couldn't tell anyone else either. People were loyal to the laws of the nation, and if I told anyone at all, I may as well have signed the death warrants of Demio and the others. I wasn't particularly fond of any of the other Altheumans, but even so I didn't want to be responsible for turning them into Zeti. That was a fate I couldn't wish on anyone.

Which meant I had to keep this all to myself. It was the only way. But damn it, I hated that idea. I didn't even like keeping harmless secrets, and this was _not _harmless. I could have had to keep it to myself for years, maybe even my entire life. I didn't want that, it'd destroy me. But if I told anyone, Demio could get in trouble. But I had to keep this secret. But I... I... I...

A despairing cry escaped my lips, and I collapsed backward fully onto my bed. This wasn't _fair_. I know, I know, it's childish, but it's true. I shouldn't have had to deal with this, no one should. Where was I supposed to go from here? What was I supposed to do about Demio?

Wait a minute...

…

Demio... _Demio..._

This was _his _fault.

He was the one wholied to me. _He _was the one who decided to pull crap like this. _HE _was the one doing the wrong thing here! I didn't do anything! Why should _I _have to deal with this?! He needs to face what he's done!

Yeah, that's it... I'll tell him. I'll tell him I saw what he did, how he betrayed his people, betrayed the law, betrayed me. I'll look him straight in the eyes as he stares at me in horror and begs me not to tell anyone. And I won't, but I'll tell him that if he ever pulls something like this again, I won't hesitate to throw him under the bus.

That's exactly what I'll do!

With that, everything finally came into focus. The colors and sounds around me intensified, and I could feel a flash flood of adrenaline surge through my brain. I could do this. I _would_ do this. I leaped to my feet and strode down the hallways to the kitchen, no longer a lost child but now a man with an ironclad purpose.

I was going to make my brother pay for his sins.

* * *

But in the end I never got the chance.

As I was storming down the hall with vengeful thoughts brewing in my head, I could hear a loud ruckus coming from the kitchen. It was too far away for me to make anything out, but I was certain I could make out multiple voices, all of them shouting, and it was growing fainter by the second. Worried, I increased my stride to a brisk jog, then further into an all-out run. Bounding down the stairs, I took a hard right and burst into the kitchen.

It looked as though there had been a fight here, just recently. Pots, pans and other things had been flung all over the place, and laid bent and broken around the kitchen. A window had been shattered, letting the warm breeze blow in and rake my fur. But what chilled me the most were the burn marks all over the wreckage. Some of them were still smoldering – I made sure to stamp them out so they wouldn't spread further. I recognized a few of them as Demio's; they were wider and more ashen. But there were others, and I recognized them as well. They were much thinner than the ones Demio had created, too thin to come from fire magic, and whereas fire magic usually left behind ashes or smolders, these burns had no such things. Rather, it was as though the burned areas themselves had become blacker. I could think of only one kind of magic that left marks such as this.

Shadow magic. And I knew very well one person who possessed such power.

My sense of dread growing larger by the second, I shot out of the kitchen and down another hall. I knew the person who had left behind those black marks very well. I had to know what he did to Demio.

His name was Ledale, Mr. Ledale to Demio and I. He didn't technically work here as an employee of this estate, but he was required to come by here four times a week to tutor me and Demio in magic. He was a powerful mage, bending shadow magic to his will like a potter molds clay. He was a younger man, somewhere in his late thirties as far as I could guess, with the pitch black fur associated with shadow magic. I'd always liked Mr. Ledale; he had a calming, friendly personality that made me feel good just being around him, and he was always there to help Demio and I with problems we were having. At the same time, he was a skilled teacher, and Demio and I could both say that we learned an immense amount of skill from him. I trusted him immensely, and normally I wouldn't be so rash as to confront him like this. Then again, this was anything but a normal situation.

Knowing Mr. Ledale enjoyed walking outside on the grounds of our house, I was eventually able to catch him in the courtyard behind the house. He was sitting on the lip of a tall fountain that spewed water straight into the air for it to gush down like a waterfall. I enjoyed the fountain, also; I liked to see if I could see rainbows in the raining water.

He smiled widely as he saw me stroll up. "Why hello, Alken. I see you thought this would be a nice day for a walk, too."

"Where's Demio?" I replied harshly.

Mr. Ledale's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Alken?"

"Where the hell is Demio?!"

"Alken, calm down!" Mr. Ledale growled reproachfully. "If you have something to ask me, take a deep breath and calm down first."

"...Fine," I growled. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply and counted to five before opening them once more. To my annoyance, it worked quite well. "All right, I was in the kitchen and I saw some burn marks all over the place. They had to have come from both fire and shadow magic, and since you're the only shadow mage in the house and Demio's the only one here who can use fire magic with that level of skill, it had to be the two of you.

"So once again, what happened?"

Mr. Ledale stared at me briefly, then let out a sad sigh. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. You were always a good student. I just wish you didn't have to find out so soon."

I looked at him with anxious confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"...You should probably sit down for this, Alken," Mr. Ledale replied, patting the edge of the fountain next to himself. Slowly, I brought myself over and sat down, as he instructed. "Yesterday, I was running some errands in the city, because I'd heard that you and Demio would both be out of the house for the day. Just before noon, I saw you standing around in front of Demio's workplace. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I came back a couple of hours later and saw that you were still there, I suspected that something was going on.

"I'll admit that I should have come up to you and spoken to you then, but for some reason I felt it wasn't important enough, so I went on with my business. But when I went by one last time in the early evening and saw you were still there, I realized that I couldn't just walk by again. So when you started tailing Demio..." He then trailed off, head bowed low.

For a moment I was confused, but then in one horrible moment, the twisted puzzle fit together before me.

"You followed me," I whispered in horror.

He nodded remorsefully. "For a little while I figured you were just trying to catch up to him, but then he started walking every which way around the city and you kept following him."

"So you saw-"

"Yes," he replied, eyes full of sorrow and pity. "I was in the cave, invisible – you know I've always been good at keeping myself from being sensed. I saw what your brother and the other four were doing. I watched the way you ran away when it became too much to bear.

"But I want you to know that I don't blame you in the slightest. Nothing that happened was your fault, so don't blame yourself for any of it, all right?"

My brain was not working. "You... you... you..."

"Yes," He nodded shamefully. "Earlier this morning I confronted him in the kitchen. I told him what I'd seen and how he'd disgraced his family and religion. I... I was angry, I won't deny that. But even so, I went too far. Way, way too far.

"Anyway, after I told all of that he attacked me, screaming about how he wasn't going to let me turn him in and get him turned into a Zeti. I didn't even want to turn him in, I swear, but he was desperate, and I didn't have any choice but to defend myself. Eventually I was able to knock him out, and then a bunch of men in black suits came in, shoved me out of the way, and dragged Demio away. I think one of the servants overheard us and contacted the authorities, I don't know.

"But I swear, Alken, I never wanted this to happen," Mr. Ledale's voice slowly became more and more pleading. "And I know I have no right to ask anything of you after what's happened, but I need to know that you hold no ill will towards me. I know it's selfish, but if you have any compassion left for me, I beg you to please show it to me now. Please, Alken. Please forgive me."

At last, something in my mind clicked. Those words, _'forgive me'_… forgive him? Forgive _him_?!

No! Absolutely not! I didn't care who he was, or how sorry he felt. He lied to us, me and Demio! Demio was found out because of him! Demio was going to be made a Zeti because of him! And he wanted me to _forgive _him?!

The idea itself was absolutely repulsive. The more I thought about it, the more I could feel the anger, hatred, and despair grow inside me. I didn't want to forgive him. I wanted to make him _pay_.

My body began to glow white as I instinctively called upon my light magic. I could feel my hatred pervert the holy power granted to me more and more by the second, and I reveled in it. A fire ignited behind my closed eyes as I brought my arms up, two blazing spheres of light gathering in them like miniature suns. I had my power at my fingertips, and I had a target before me.

"Forgive you..." I growled hollowly. "You want me to forgive you. My brother, the man who's protected me my whole life, who's looked out for me since I was born, is going to become a Zeti because of you... _and you want me to FORGIVE YOU!_" I exploded. There was no other word for it. "Then take it! Take my forgiveness! Burn in it! Just BURN, YOU DAMN-"

And then I opened my eyes again. And I saw Mr. Ledale. I'd expected him to be on his feet, magic ready. I'd been expecting a battle, a long, intense fight at the end of which either I'd be dead or he would be.

But he wasn't on his feet, and he wasn't about to fight back. He was on the ground before me, looking up at me from on his knees. And he was _crying_. Crying as though he'd just killed a man. Maybe to him he actually had. Tears were pouring down his face in waterfalls as he stared up at me. He wasn't about to attack me. He was waiting for me to kill him.

And it all went away. All of my anger and hate that I had hoped to strike him down with were gone, like they'd never even been there to begin with. Oh Gods, what was I doing? I was going to kill him. He was my friend, and I wanted to kill him.

I collapsed to the ground before him as my strength disappeared completely. Resting on my hands and knees, I began to tremble, my entire body shaking furiously. I began to sob, softly at first, then harder. Soon I crying even harder than Mr. Ledale was. Suddenly, I could feel a strong pair of arms wrap around my body, and then my face was buried in Mr. Ledale's thick, black chest fur. His tears dropped down onto my already wet fur, soaking it even further.

"Alken, I'm sorry. I didn't want this, I swear. I didn't want this," He choked out the words, voice thick with despair and guilt. "This is all my fault... please forgive me, Alken, please... oh Gods, I'm so, so sorry..."

I dug my fingers into his muscular back, but I didn't say anything. There was nothing I could say, nothing. All I could do was kneel there, holding onto him like he was the only thing keeping me alive, and listen to him whimpering over and over for forgiveness...

**And that's all she wrote. Keep hanging on for the third chapter, 'cause it's coming, I promise. See you soon.**

**Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A'ight! Finally finished writing chapter three! I'm impressed with how I was able to write this; it's the longest thing I've written by almost 800 words. Hope you enjoy as things start going down.**

**The Shining Seventh**

**Chapter Three: One Hundred Years in the Gilded Cage**

The next three weeks were hell. After Demio was taken away, Mr. Ledale and I tried to see him, or just contact him, but officials turned us away on every avenue. Probably some bullshit about how they didn't want him "corrupting" us with his "sacrilegious ideals." I didn't know if I was more relieved or more frustrated with it all. On one hand, I was still really steamed with him for lying to me for Gods know how long. But on the other hand, he was still my brother, and I needed to see how he was holding up, or at least to tell him how everyone else was doing.

Mr. Ledale and I spent a lot of time every day just talking. Lessons had been suspended indefinitely, but Mr. Ledale kept coming by anyway, to make sure things were still running as smoothly as they could. I think he was also trying to keep me company; without Demio, I didn't really have anyone else to turn to, so he took it upon himself to take up that role. We tried to talk about as many things as possible that weren't about Demio, to keep our minds off of what was going on.

I could feel that he was still really guilty about what happened, but I always changed the subject whenever I felt it was coming up. Eventually an unspoken forgiveness passed between us, and he lightened up a bit after that. Still, I doubt he would ever fully forgive himself; something like that can take a lifetime to overcome.

Dad was a different story. When he heard about his son being taken away, I honestly believed he was going to murder somebody, anybody. But he didn't. He just stood there for more than a minute before storming to his room and slamming the door. The scariest part of all came after. Every time I saw him in the halls I could feel pure ice coming off of him. I couldn't bring myself to talk to him. I could barely even look at him. I was terrified of him, what he was thinking, what he was planning to do. If I could see him get angry, just once, I would've felt so much more at ease, but he seemed determined to bottle up his feelings and keep them from everyone. I tried to just stay away from him as much as I could.

* * *

"The hearing is now in session. All rise," the official droned, and everyone in the courthouse stood.

The day of judgment had at last arrived. After three hellish weeks of nonstop waiting, Demio and the others' "trial" had begun. Of course, I use the term 'trial' very loosely; the chances of a not guilty verdict for any of them stood at a few miles south of zero, and everyone knew it. It was really more of a formality than anything. There had always been talks of privatizing these events, but they were constantly being shot down. It was an unspoken assumption that the higher-ups wished them to be public as a method of spreading fear. By showing off the powerlessness of the convicted and the fate they were doomed to, the masses would be cowed further into submission.

I always hated politics, and these ceremonies did nothing to change my outlook.

Of course, I had been forced to sit up in the front row for this. Families of the heretics are required to do so, supposedly so that they can properly see the one that they love a final time before they're transformed and cast off forever.

It was almost unanimously agreed that this was _not _a reassuring practice for either the families or the ones being turned into Zeti.

Anyway, I was standing up in the front row (Mr. Ledale had told me beforehand that he'd be watching from somewhere else in the courthouse), and as the official muttered on, listing the names, ages and whatever of the defendants and stating the charges placed before them, I tuned it all out and turned to watch the five defendants, all handcuffed to chairs in the center of the room. I studied their actions closely, hoping that it would help distract me. Primarily I saw anger, of varying degrees, in all five of them. Zazz's was the greatest; if it weren't for the many charms placed upon the group to deaden their magic, I would've sworn he'd have broken out and gone on a killing spree. I didn't doubt that he was capable of it – the way he'd gone crazy with the wind spirit in the cove so long ago was proof enough for me.

Zomom was staring out at the crowd, scanning them silently. I couldn't tell why – my best two guesses were that he was either looking for sympathy or trying to find out who'd sold him out, but since he clearly wasn't going to find the first and he didn't seem smart enough to determine the second, my guess was as good as anyone else's. Zeena was scanning the crowd also. It was clear, however, that she wasn't looking for sympathy or answers. I could see hatred in her eyes, blind hatred. It scared me more than anything else here. Zazz may have been angry, but his was more of a mindless anger; he wanted to kill people because that was just what he did. Zeena, on the other hand, was calculating. Intelligent. If she was free, she wouldn't just kill people. She make them _suffer_. Make them begfor mercy and dangle just out of their reach as she slowly drew the life from their bodies.

Zor wasn't showing much. When I first realized this, I figured he was just attempting to be defiant. But when I looked closer, I could definitely pick up on some things. I could see it in the way he kept his teeth slightly clenched and his gaze drooped, but allowed the sorrow in his eyes to shine through. He wasn't trying to keep anything from showing, he just had nothing left. I looked into his eyes and all I could see was a vast, dark emptiness. Whatever there used to be was all gone now.

Finally, after as much resistance as I could muster, I turned to Demio. He sat up straight with his shoulders squared tightly, like a true professional would. I guess even at his lowest point he felt he had to look strong and capable. Still, the way he bowed his head gently with his eyes closed in regret... even if he hadn't been my brother, it still would have made my chest feel tight.

Apparently, the official finished speaking right around then, because everyone sat down, including me. Up at the front of the hall stood my father, and astride him, two others, one male and one female. They all shared the same severe look, but only my father exuded that dark, empty aura as he gazed upon the five, pure revulsion in his face.

"You have been brought here before the High Council," roared my father, "so that judgment may be passed upon you, for a crime so heinous that we have not heard the like of it within this court for centuries!

"We have heard the evidence against you! The five of you stand accused of illegally conjuring spirits from the ether and manipulating their power without their foreknowledge or consent, endangering the fragile ties between Altheuman and spirit! You paid no mind to the grievous repercussions your infantile actions may have wrought, caring only for your juvenile power fantasies!

"I now ask the jury-"

"Father, _stop!" _Demio snapped his eyes up and shouted back. "You would do this to your own son? Your own flesh and blood?! What kind of father are you?!"

"I now ask the jury," Dad just shouted even louder, "to stand up now if they believe, as I do... that this crime deserves a life sentence in the Lost Hex!"

To the jury's credit the reaction was not instantaneous. It took several seconds for the first to raise their hands, and almost a minute before all hands were raised. They were reluctant, reluctant to send five of their own to hell. But that was their duty as Altheumans and as citizens, and they could not deny their duty. As for me, I had no reaction. I was far too broken.

And then, it began.

Upon the final "yea" vote, the female Altheuman stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She began to incant, but this was no normal spell. I supposed that the closest analogue was the spell Zomom had spoken at the cove long ago, but even that spell was nothing compared to this. The words she chanted were not words at all but horrible, guttural noises that came from deep within her chest and oozed out of her mouth like poison. They were the kind of words demons would speak whilst damning the living and the dead. And yet impossibly, it seemed to work, as while she uttered the black speech, a huge magic circle, one that filled the entire center of the chamber, lit up underneath the convicts... and my brother.

They all collapsed to the floor, and before the horrified eyes of all those in the courtroom, they began to _change_.

Zazz writhed upon the ground as his arms and legs extended and became thinner and thinner, and his jaw broke, reformed, and broke over and over again, all the while growing larger, and his face tore open at the temples and two jagged, striped horns grew out from the slits. His feet broke of their own accord, reshaping themselves into two-toed claws with a spur on the back of each. The whole time he was screaming and screaming, a high-pitched, deafening shriek of pure, unrestrained insanity.

Zomom clawed hysterically at his mouth as it stretched wider, far beyond the size any normal creature could match, and his skin tore in a vain attempt to accommodate it. His muscular body began to bulge and swell all over, growing bigger and bigger until his neck completely vanished, leaving his body the shape of an almost perfect sphere. On the top of his head, a ring of short horns burst out in a terrible, bleeding crown.

Zeena cried out as her body began to close in on itself, shrinking and becoming more slender. Her stomach was the worst off, turning her entire body into an hourglass shape that could barely support her upper body. She collapsed on the ground, and thick green hair sprouted from her scalp and cascaded down the front and back of her head. Finally, a long, curved horn shot out of her head as she lost consciousness.

Zor's entire body began to shrink as he actually became smaller, until he barely came up to the hips of any of the others. Even as far away as I was I could _hear _his spine twisting and popping, forcing his body into a permanent new slouching position as he screamed in absolute agony.

And Demio...

Even as I watched, Demio began to grow... and grow... more and more. Like Zomom, his body was expanding in every direction. But this was different; Zomom had been gaining only fat, but this time it was muscle, all of it. Demio fell to his hands and knees and watched in horror as his hands grew and stretched, becoming huge and powerful to match the rest of his body, his roars of horror and pain deepening more and more as he grew. Black spikes shot up out of his shoulders, and from his head, a pair of curved, black, devilish horns.

Monsters. That's what they were. That's what they'd become. Their lives as Altheumans were over forever. Now? They were reborn. Reborn as demons. And there was no going back.

…

I still don't know what compelled me to do what I did next. Maybe I felt that I could change things somehow, or that I could save Demio. Maybe I even wanted to join him, I just don't know. It's been over a century since then, and I'm still no closer to figuring anything out.

But I do know this: I jumped in.

I ignited my magic, and glowing with light I leaped into the glowing seal with the others.

Immediately I wished that I hadn't.

I was no stranger to pain. I'd fallen from pretty high places and broken more than a few bones in my days. I'd smashed my head on rocks before, and I somehow managed to several fishhooks through my neck one time while camping. But this... this was a whole new _universe _of pain. Thousands of thresholds above anything I'd ever felt before, or have ever felt since. The instant I entered the seal, I could feel every nerve in my body literally fry. I felt my organs burst open and sow themselves up over and over again without end. My blood cells tore in half and blood as hot as lava permeated the inside of my body, and my bones, somehow both melting and breaking simultaneously, forced themselves into shapes no animal could claim to share.

It felt like it went on for years, and just would not stop. I was almost certainly screaming, but I couldn't even hear it. My ears weren't working. I was blind from the pain; there was only darkness. Darkness and pain, pain, _pain_.

And then, through it all, I could hear a deep, demonic roar of despair.

And then it finally ended.

* * *

…

…

It had to be a dream.

I was laying down stock-still, my eyes still closed. Over and over again I repeated that. _It had to be a dream. It had to be a dream. Demio's not a Zeti. I'm not a Zeti. Everything is okay. It was all a dream. _

It just HAD to be.

…But why was my bed so hard?

And why was the air so hot?

And it hurt so much to move...

Against my wishes, my eyes opened up. I wished they hadn't. I was looking up at the ceiling of a cave, made of dark stone. Or maybe the cave itself was just dark. Either way, the air was scalding hot, and breathing was difficult. Slowly, I sat up, feeling my aching joints groan and my head swim.

"Alken!" The deep, unfamiliar voice caught my attention and I turned to face it.

And stared at a horrible monster.

It was tall and muscular, crimson and black skin stretched tight over its body. It had two long, black horns jutting out of its head and a cyan-colored ponytail. And it had a look on its face that was just as terrified as my own.

And the worst of it was, I knew this monster.

Demio.

The ground lurched beneath me, and I keeled over onto my hands and knees as my stomach automatically emptied itself. The monster – Demio – hurried forward and placed his hands on my shoulders to keep me still, but I barely noticed. Once my stomach finally emptied fully, I could feel myself shaking with pure despair. All I could feel was emptiness. I didn't feel afraid, or angry, or upset at all. I felt nothing, even as fresh tears cascaded from my face, the face I couldn't even see but could only be the face of a horrible demon.

* * *

One hundred years later...

The ocean was truly beautiful. The way the sun's rays struck the water and lit it up and made it sparkle like a giant gemstone was absolutely breathtaking. I could sit on the sandy beach and just watch the waves crest and burst all day long. Maybe I'd have some time tomorrow. Well, technically I had plenty of time, being an immortal Zeti and all, but even then that time was to be rationed, not wasted. Regardless, I slipped over to the water and stole one final glance at my reflection.

When I first came here a whole century ago, I couldn't bear to see the shape into which I had been reborn. It was hard enough to look at the others knowing what had used to be, but looking at myself was an entirely different story. It was easier now – I mean, it was my body, so I kinda had to get used to it - but I still preferred infinitely my former self, as opposed to what greeted me now.

The creature staring back at me was spindly as all get-out; practically a stick, really. Its lower body was solid black, with a pair of two-toed, two-spurred feet. Its upper body was predominantly white, with thin silver stripes running up its torso and down its arms, which dangled all the way down to its knees and ended in four-fingered hands with dangerously sharp talons. Finally, its head – which somehow had managed to remain supported despite the creature's impossibly thin body – was gaunt and bony. Its skin, stretched to the point where it looked about to tear, covered a skull-like face with sunken eyes that had black sclerae and red pupils, and a mop of dark cyan hair was swept down over the being's eyes, hiding them from view.

It wasn't a living creature so much as it was a horrible living skeleton.

I forced myself to stop looking at the beast in such a perverse manner (it's like a train wreck; you just can't seem to look away), and continued along my walk. I'd covered quite a good deal of ground, but I still had to complete several more circuits before my daily route was complete.

I should explain that.

When the six of us first landed here, we received a welcome of sort from this other Zeti calling himself Master Zik. He was this really old guy, but he was strong, no doubt. Within minutes he'd cowed us all into submission; no one here dared to try and take him down after that. He went back to tending his herb garden or whatever after that, but allowed us all to form a community of sorts. We couldn't exactly go home again, and Lost Hex was miles up in the atmosphere above a world that may or may not have even been inhabitable, so we all settled down here, resigned to spend eternity here with only each other for company.

Pretty soon it became very apparent that some combination of our transformations and our imprisonment here was warping everyone's minds. Zazz became increasingly less coherent, Zomom's intelligence hit a new low, Zeena's vanity hit a new high, and Zor became depressed every second of every day. And Demio? Demio became violent. The brother I knew was almost entirely subsumed by the monster he had become. He tried to keep me clear of all of it, but there were times when he lost it and I was around and... it wasn't fun.

Still, every so often the brother I thought I had lost would shine through. When we were alone he would give me a hug, or talk to me when I didn't know what to do, just like old times. He tried not to let the others find out, but I think they figured it out on their own. They would give me dirty looks, like I was sucking up to him, and generally either ignored me or abused me physically. At Demio's insistence I started calling myself Zenta, but it didn't affect my standings with the others in any way.

It was just as well. I wasn't particularly fond of any of them, and they weren't fond of me, so I was more than happy to stay out of their way. I started walking, not far at first, just far enough so that our home was just out of view, then I'd come right back. It was my escape, my way of hopefully staving off the madness that had infected the others so fully. I could feel it every now and then clawing at the back of my eyes, but when I was on my own it felt so much better.

After a while my usual route began to calm me less and less, so I decided to start going a little farther, and then a little farther after that, and so on. Before too long I had reached the edge of the volcanic region we lived within, and without hesitation I proceeded onward, filled with apprehensive excitement.

A land in the sky awaited me. It was breathtaking; an entire ruined city suspended in the sky as if by magic. Every day I would return to the floating ruins and explore, finding something new in the process. Getting there was no obstacle; becoming a Zeti placed no impediments on my magic, so turning myself into light and flying up to the city was child's play. I loved going up there and running through the ruins, feeling the wind rush against my face and the hard marble and granite beneath my feet. Sometimes it would storm while I was up there, and it was harrowing, blood-pumping, and a little bit humbling to hear, see, and feel the thunder and lightning and rain all around me.

Emboldened, I went even further. After the ruins in the sky came a great forest, a dark and mysterious place that went on for miles. The trees were so large and numerous that the sun was only rarely visible through the thick canopy. As frightening as it may have been, I always thought it was mystifying. Beyond the forest was a colossal snowy mountain jutting high into the sky. The cold was bracing, but it was such a peaceful place that I barely ever noticed. I loved to skate down the icy slopes and slide along the snow; it brought back memories of a more peaceful time. Occasionally I would come at just the right time to see the auroras, dancing across the sky in luminescent shades of green and red.

A bright, sandy beach (the one I was traveling through right now, actually) was the next region, and it brought back even more memories of my former life; Demio and I would go to the beach and build sand castles and just walk along the white sands for hours, enjoying the waves as they crested and crashed into the shoreline. I was never much of a swimmer, but Demio never forced me into the water if I didn't want to go, so it turned out all right. The following desert area was not a favorite of mine (although the pyramids were pretty interesting – I liked exploring the catacombs), but the hills – the final region of Lost Hex – were absolutely beautiful. I loved spending time in the hills. I would run through the grass with arms spread wide, scale sheer cliffs with ease, lay down for hours next to a waterfall and rest my eyes, and so much more.

This land may have been intended to be a prison, but I had to admit before long that it was truly an amazing place to be trapped in for life. So once I had gone as far as I could and seen every part of Lost Hex that I could find (one hundred years is a long time, keep in mind), I... kept going. I would go through everywhere again, but I would take a different route, to see all of the same places from different angles. And once I finished that route, I would create another, and another, and another; I had all the time in the world and nothing better to do, so I hardly thought twice about it.

But back to what I was talking about before, it was a simple, ordinary day as always. I was just on the way out on my newest route and passing through that pretty beach for the umpteenth time, and as always I was doing some thinking. Thinking was something I did a lot of, so that I'd have more than one thing to do while wandering around. I thought about a lot of things; some were inconsequential, like what to prepare for dinner or whether or not to pick a flower I'd just found, but sometimes I'd dig deeper. I wonder what my country back in my home dimension was like now or what happened to the people I knew. They were all surely dead now, unless time moved differently there.

Despite circumstances, the thought saddened me deeply, the fact that all the people I knew and loved were long gone now. I wondered, and still do, what happened to Mr. Ledale after the trial. He'd had to deal with both Demio and me, his precious students, being sent away forever, because of something he'd done. He'd taken Demio's capture hard, how could he have reacted to losing me too? Did he have to live the rest of his life with that weight on his shoulders? Did he even live for long after that? I'd heard of people dying of despair, just losing outright the will to live. Maybe he took his own life... I prayed to the gods that that wasn't true. I wanted wholeheartedly to believe it wasn't, but grief and despair were unpredictable. I couldn't totally deny the possibility...

Today? I was thinking hard, harder than I had in a long time, about something that had been stuck in my mind for an entire century. The other six, even Demio, sadly, had long ago given into hatred and despair over how they had been wronged. (I never did, by the way, find out what Zik did to get banished. I was too scared to ask) They'd welcomed the hatred, and allowed themselves to be reborn for the worse. But I was trying something different. I'd spent enough time on my own and in the wilderness to quell my hatred considerably. It was there, no doubt, but... I didn't want to live with it. I wanted it gone. Completely.

So I walked, and walked, and continued walking along the azure blue coast, turning various ideas over and over in my head. Who was there to hate? I made a mental list: Mr. Ledale. My dad. The other two Altheumans who condemned the others to banishment. Zazz, Zomom, Zeena, and Zor. And lastly, Demio himself.

One by one I went over them all and rejected them.

Mr. Ledale? He didn't know what he was going to see when he'd chosen to follow me. Besides, he'd told me that he had only confronted Demio, not reported him, and I believed it.

_But you don't know if that's really the truth. _A voice hissed quietly in the back of my mind. It was a dark, tempting voice that sought to shake me, make me doubt in the others, and in my own beliefs. I had no intention of listening to it.

"Right. I don't know if it's the truth," I replied out loud. "But I believe it. I trust Mr. Ledale greatly. He'd never sell out Demio, no matter what."

_You can't deny the possibility._

"I'm not denying it. I'm rejecting it." The voice fell quiet for the moment. Moving on...

My father?

_Ah, yes. _The voice slithered again. _He abandoned you and Demio, didn't he? Left you to rot in this little piece of Hell. _

I had to gather my thoughts for a minute, but I was able to formulate a response. "No father would just abandon his children to a fate like this. For all I know, he was doing his job. He was under a lot of pressure to act, so he probably had no choice."

_Gods, is that your best idea?! _The voice laughed a raspy, poisonous chuckle. _Probably? For all you know? You're reaching, Zenta. _

"It's _Alken_," I growled. "And reaching or not, I stand by it all. Besides, I don't know what Dad was feeling, and I don't know what he did after it all. As far as I know, he went to his grave loathing himself to the core for what he did. Between my idea and yours, I'll gladly stand by mine."

_You really are a damned fool._

"And I don't give a damn what you think," I seethed. Who was next?

The Altheuman that transformed us all.

That one was easy. She was doing her job, just like Dad. I didn't know how she was feeling, or how she felt after the fact. Besides, I only got transformed because of my idiotic recklessness. Blaming her would be pointlessly stupid.

The voice didn't speak up. I guess it had no counterarguments.

Zazz, Zomom, Zeena, and Zor?

That was... difficult. Of course the voice chimed in immediately.

_Oh, this should be good! The fearsome foursome that gobbled up your precious Demio! _It oozed with malicious glee.

It had a frustratingly good point. I thought over the various ways I could respond. I could say that Demio may have recruited _them,_ and not the other way around, but at heart I didn't really believe that, and I couldn't bear to shift blame to Demio. I could say that they were just misguided and didn't want it to go this far, but I wasn't so sure of that either; I still remembered the way Zazz slung around those cyclones without a care for the others' well-beings.

Maybe...

_See? You can't come up with anything! _It laughed like a evil little demon child in a demon candy store. For demons. _Just give up! You hate them! There's nothing WRONG with that! _

Maybe it was right. Maybe I couldn't forgive what they'd done, and how far they'd dragged us all. But I wasn't going to give up here.

"Yeah, that's right," I shot back defiantly. "I _don't _forgive them. None of them. But I'm not going to hate them either. It's not worth it."

_You think you can just magically stop hating them? They ruined your entire life, and they're not even sorry! _

"I'm willing to try."

The voice chuckled. _Fine. But you still have to deal with Demio, remember? Can you so easily forgive your own brother?_

I stood still for a moment to ponder that, then took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I reflected upon all that had happened in the past century, and the events leading up to it. I visualized what I had seen tailing Demio that fateful day. I remembered the feeling of betrayal I felt, the anger that came after, and the sorrow I felt when he was lost to me. Slowly but surely, things started to click.

Finally I opened my eyes and spoke, slowly but deliberately. "Yes, I think I can."

_What?! _The voice was aghast, but rebounded quickly. _But don't forget – he lied to you! _

"Demio always looked out for me, no matter what," I retorted. "I'm certain he was just trying to protect me, just like always."

_How so? _

"When I found out what he was up to, I was devastated. It's been one hundred years since that day, and I could go back and warn my past self not to investigate what Demio was up to, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and not just because it led to this." I gestured with my arms and continued. "But because it hurt that much to find out. There's no doubt in my mind that Demio was trying to spare my feelings."

_All right. _The voice growled. _But he still broke the law! _

"I'm not going to put some law over my own brother!" I shouted back. "I might have, back then, but I was young and angry. I wouldn't dream of selling him out now."

_Uurgh, fine! _It was getting petulant now. Apparently it hadn't expected me to still be going this far. _But there's one more thing – the crime itself! What he did was heresy! A sin above all other sins! Don't tell me you've forsaken that belief! _

"Yes, I have." There was no stopping me now. I was a bullet train now, speeding toward my goal. Anything in my way would be destroyed. "I remember what Demio said that day. I remembered the rules he laid down." I could hear Demio's voice echoing in my head now, speaking the words with me. "Don't talk about your home life. Don't talk about what you do there. And don't use each other's real names. He created those rules to keep those other psychos in line. And I remember something else, too. The way he reprimanded Zazz for endangering everyone, and how he said that the group was meant for releasing stress. He didn't intend to do anything to hurt others; he went out of his way to stop it from happening!" My speech built up to a shout.

The voice stuttered. _N-n-no! No! You're wrong! This is all Demio's fault! Don't forgive him! __**Hate **__him! HATE h-_

"SHUT UP AND **LISTEN!**"I roared as loudly as my lungs would allow me to. "I've hated for one hundred years already! I'm DONE with hate! You don't get to decide that!

"You may be a part of me, I'll admit that. But there's one thing you got wrong!"

_...what?_

"You don't anything about me! All you can feel, all that you are, is _hate_! You don't know how I've felt over the past century, or that I've been trying my damnedest to make it all go away! And above all else – above every other mistake you made – you – _don't know shit – ABOUT DEMIO!" _

"I'm DONE with hate! I'm done with _you!_ So get out the hell out of my head, and _don't come back!"_

I collapsed onto the ground in a sitting position, panting heavily as the adrenaline faded from my body. The amazing rush I felt died down slowly, and for a moment I waited to hear that wretched voice speak again. But it didn't. It was gone.

I could feel the space it once encompassed filling up with something new. It was peaceful, and it felt truly wonderful. After one hundred years, I had finally vanquished my hatred. For the others, for Demio, and maybe even for myself. It was gone forever.

At last I was at peace.

But only for a moment. Then all of a sudden my body ignited with pain. I collapsed to the ground as my muscles and bones turned to lead and melted into a water-like consistency. My skin felt like it was both burning off and tearing itself apart while still attached to me, my organs unwinding and bursting open all the while. And yet, through it all, I realized something.

I'd felt this way before. When I became a Zeti, I felt the exact same pain. My body burning and changing, forcing itself into another shape.

And as that realization dawned upon me, another horrified thought crossed my mind.

What was I becoming now?

**And that's the chapter! There's only one left, so hold on for that. See you soon!**

**Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**And now, at last, the finale of _The Shining Seventh_! It's been fun writing this story, I won't lie. Hard, but fun. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as well, and stick around for what I hope will be many more stories to come. _  
_**

**The Shining Seventh**

**Chapter Four: Eternal Blood and Regret**

I returned to consciousness slowly, feeling myself swimming up from the pitch-black depths to return to the world of light. At first I could see nothing, but eventually a miniscule sparkle blinked into existence, and as I traversed toward that it slowly but surely began to intensify, more and more until finally it engulfed me entirely...

And then I could feel the hot sand on my back. The sun, bright as ever, seared my eyes when I opened them, and the pain was enough to jolt me from a semi-awake state to being fully awake. Pain really is a great way to get someone up fast. I pulled myself into a sitting position, and then from there I was able to stand back up.

Or at least I _tried _to stand up, but as I was rising to my feet I suddenly lost my balance and fell forward onto my hands and knees. After recovering from the surprise I tried once more to get up, but then fell over once more. It took two more tries after that to stand successfully, and even then I felt as though one wrong shifting of my weight would send me sprawling once again.

Of course, I knew why this was the case. Just as I had changed from Altheuman to Zeti one long century ago, I had just recently changed once more to something else, the shape of which I was not aware of at present. I wasn't sure how long I had been out. Judging by the sun it was sometime in the morning, and it had previously been midday, so I had been out for at least a little less than a day... maybe even longer.

But there would be more time to investigate that in a while. First I had to see what new shape my body had taken on, as much as the thought terrified me. The ocean's waters would provide a convenient mirror for that purpose. I already knew that my body felt much thicker than it was as a Zeti; my legs, arms, and torso had all widened considerably, and yet my head had not changed, granting my body a more naturally proportioned structure. My hands, which had previously borne sharp talons, were now free of them; my fingers were now rounded and less threatening. My feet were smaller but wider and no longer possessed the two spurs, and rather than being two-toed they now each resembled a paw. My bare body was lightly sinewy with muscle, and covered head to toe with short, white fur.

I couldn't help but feel as though it was all too familiar...

I tried to take a step toward the ocean, but being unaccustomed to my new body, I fell back down onto the ground. Unsure of my ability to stand again, I instead crawled over to the edge of the crystal waters. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths to calm myself, even a little.

_One. _

_ Two. _

_ Three._

My eyes snapped open, and I lowered my face to the water.

And I stared at what I saw.

…

Tears started to well up in my eyes. The face I saw was mine. Not the face of Zenta, but my face.

Mine.

Alken.

I had been reborn once again, into my true body, the one I had been stripped of a century ago. It hadn't changed one bit. It was still the same body, with the same hazel eyes, the same unkempt mop of cyan hair, the same face. Not one thing was different than it was one hundred years ago. My curse had been broken at last.

For the first time in one hundred years, I began to cry. But these were not broken tears or sorrowful tears, the ones that I used to cry. These were tears of mirth. I cried for the body I had once called mine, and that I had at last reclaimed. For the hate that had plagued me for a century, and that I was finally freed from. But mostly, I cried for the hope I that had relit within me. If I had been saved, then it meant that the others could be saved as well.

Demio could be saved.

Wiping my tears with my arm, I turned and began to run, all the way back to the home I had shared with all of the others. Demio had to know about this. More than anything I had ever wanted before, I wanted to help him now. At last I _could _help him. We could start again.

* * *

…

The scenery sped by me in a blur as I raced across the landscape. I slid through the frozen mountains with ease, as I had done countless times prior, and weaved through the thick foliage of the forest without effort; I daresay I could have done it all with my eyes closed. In what felt like moments I was in the midst of the midair ruins, even though that place was easily over an hour from the beach.

My mind was moving at light-speed. What would Demio say when he saw me? What would he do? Would he be happy? I can't imagine he wouldn't be. How would the others react? Should they be told about it? Of course they'd probably find out eventually, but would it matter? One hundred years of living with these people had shown me that they were not good people – even if they knew they could become what they had once been, they may not have the capability... or the desire.

But it didn't matter. Neither did any of them. Only Demio mattered. Until I got to him, until I showed him my reborn body and reignited his hope, _nothing _else mattered. Not even myself.

And funny I should say that about that moment, because considering what happened next I really, really shouldn't.

_WHIZZZ-BAM!_

I whirled about in alarm to find the source of the explosion, but doing so caused me to stumble and I fell down hard on my left shoulder. Wincing in pain, I stood up clenching my arm and turned in all directions but could find nothing. Hesitantly, I began to walk once again, but within seconds:

_WHIZZZZZ-_

That time I caught it out of the corner of my eye; a large golden cannonball shooting straight at me. A quick flip carried me out of harm's way, and the sphere crashed into a white stone pillar, destroying it in a loud explosion. Landing deftly on my feet, I dropped to a crouch, ready to spring again at a moment's notice.

"Damn it, you weren't supposed to dodge that."

Shocked, I quickly turned to the right to follow the voice's source, and my eyes met-

"Zor?"

The smaller, gloomy Zeti was sitting higher up on an overhanging balcony, staring at me with his usual forlorn look.

"Yeah, what?" He replied with a great deal of effort.

There was an audible pause as we both just stared at each other. No one said anything for almost ten minutes. I swear it was the longest time anyone had not talked, ever. I was the one who snapped first.

"What the _hell _were you doing?!" I yelled at him.

Zor just groaned. "You still don't get it. I swear, it hurts to have to talk to you... then again, it hurts me to do anything, so I guess it's nothing new." He shrugged, then slid off the balcony, landing a good twenty feet away from me. "See, we've all been keeping an eye on you ever since the six of us got to this hellhole."

I blinked. "Keeping an eye on me? And who's we?"

"All of us, you idiotic boy," Another voice spoke up from behind me. I spun quickly to see Master Zik standing on my other side, staff pointed at the ready. "Ever since the get-go. Even I was persuaded to take time out of my days to make sure you didn't do anything... rash."

My head started to hurt. They were watching me? All of them? Even... even Demio?

No, I couldn't think like that, not now. "What do you all care about me?" I replied, trying to sound defiant. "Last I checked, you couldn't stand the sight of me? Why the change of heart?"

"Oh, don't be so naïve. It's annoying." The reply came from my right. There stood Zeena, only partially paying any attention to me while the rest of her focus was on her nails as always. "We're not doing this because we careabout you. We're doing it because you're _dangerous._" At that she snapped her head up and leered at me. "I mean, look at yourself! I'll admit you used to be, eh, kinda cute, but then you just had to go and ruin it all! And what if the top brass sees you like this? We can't have him just giving up on getting a little revenge just 'cause of his stupid little brother!"

"That's right!" Zazz shrieked suddenly from my left; I hadn't noticed him before. "There's a big world down below for the taking, but as long as you're around Zavok's too soft to try anything! But if we kill you, then there's nothing left to stand in his way, which means there's nothing in our way either!" He finished, laughing a horrible, screeching laugh.

I wasn't really surprised at all of this – if anything I'd been expecting something like it for a good while – but it still caught me off guard. I'd gotten careless, figured that just because they were leaving me alone meant they weren't keeping me in mind. Clearly I'd been foolish, because now they'd gotten me boxed in on all sides, and if I didn't do something and fast, they were gonna smear me across the ground, all five of them.

Hang on, five? Something was wrong. Quickly recounting, I noticed only four; Zomom was missing. Of course, Zomom was probably off somewhere doing his own thing. He was never much of a team player. None of them were.

But then again, even if they weren't team players, they apparently hated me enough and thought me enough of a risk to band together and take me out as a group. They weren't leaving anything to chance. So where was Zomom? They wouldn't dare risk him ruining this, right?

Unless...

Grinning, I tried to sound tough. "Y'know, I think you guys got your numbers wrong."

"How so?" Zeena asked, looking somewhat surprised. Guess she wasn't counting on me staying so cool.

"You said you were all keeping an eye on me. All of you," I repeated, smirking as cockily as possible. "But you're missing a man. Where's Zomom? Too chicken to join in?"

"Not quite," Zik answered. "In fact, I think he'll be here right... about... NOW!"

On his last word I rocketed away, igniting my magic for a little speed boost. Good timing too, because the instant I moved, a large round shadow began to descend where I once was, followed quickly by something very large and very, very heavy smashing into that point. Stopping a distance away, I turned around to confirm that yes, it was Zomom. He'd belly-flopped right onto where I'd once been so hard that the ground actually rippled from the impact. On the plus side, it also sent the other Zeti flying, and from the looks of it, they all hit the ground pretty hard.

Quickly, I ran through my list of options, and it came swiftly down to two; run or fight. It was an easy decision.

I turned and ran as fast as I could. I had to get to Demio. No time for fighting.

I was going to make it. I _had _to. There was no other option for me.

I had to...

And then something burst out of my chest.

It happened so fast I didn't even realize it for almost a minute. Out of nowhere I felt a sharp pain in my upper back, and then my entire body went numb. My vision started to blur, and I felt weak; how I could still stand was beyond me. My hand reflexively flew to my chest and met something long, hard, and wet. My head could barely move, but I was able to look down just enough to see.

It was a staff. Master Zik's staff, jutting from my chest like a lance.

And it was completely soaked with my blood.

My brain, trapped in the shock of pain, was refusing to give commands or even form ideas – I literally couldn't think. I couldn't even move. Yet somehow my magic ignited on its own, and I could feel it flow to my pierced chest and try to heal the damage as best as it could. Mending my bones, stitching up my muscles and reconnecting my severed arteries even as blood continued to gush down my chest and stomach.

And then I started to feel pain again. The pain of not only having a long wooden spear thrust through my chest but also the pain of being healed. I could feel my bones being forced back into position, my torn muscles re-sewn by invisible hands, and my skin desperately trying to reform itself around the spear that jutted from my chest. The pain was indescribable.

Almost immediately my mind gave out completely, and I blacked out.

* * *

Demio...

This is all my fault.

I was just a kid. So stupid. So naïve.

That day, one hundred years ago, I didn't care about how you felt, about your opinions on the matter. All I cared about was satisfying my juvenile curiosity.

If I hadn't followed you, Mr. Ledale would never have followed me, and you would have gone undiscovered. Maybe you would have decided on your own to give up on you'd been doing, and everything would've gone back to normal. We could've been a family again.

And now, I've lost my chance to atone. At my moment of greatest hope, the hope of once more seeing Demio, the brother I'd lost, and not Zavok, the demon tyrant, I'd been killed off by people I never even saw coming.

I understand, Demio. This is my punishment. To have hope taken from me, and replaced by so much of this wretched despair. An ocean of emptiness and self-loathing swirls within me now, and I lay upon its floor.

It's all what I deserve.

Goodbye... my beloved brother...

* * *

_It's been a while since that day. _

_ When I awoke from a sleep even deeper than death, a sleep that I still can't understand how I was roused from it, I was somewhere... new. I didn't understand it at the time, but it was no place on Lost Hex. It was below, on the world I didn't even know existed. The others had thrown me over the side to dispose of me, to ensure Demio would never find the body. I was completely alone. _

_ But by some miracle of the gods, I was not that way for long. I was discovered two days later by a strange blue hedgehog by the name of 'Sonic.' He was a brusque, cocky fellow, but I couldn't help but come to like him. While we were talking I mentioned the Zeti, and he got really surprised. Turns out he'd been there fairly recently, chasing somebody he called 'Eggman.' _

_ And he'd seen the Zeti. Fought them. Even Demio. And as far as he believed, they were dead. _

_ When he said that, I lost it. Right then and there I broke down, a flood of tears cascading down my face like a great waterfall. He was surprised at that, but he didn't leave as I thought he would. Instead, he stayed. When I finally calmed down, I explained everything to him. My entire story, from the day I was saddled with my curse to the day I drew what I believed would be my final breaths. He was stunned at all I had been through, and horrified when I told him Zavok had once been my brother. _

_ When I finished, he said that if I had nowhere else to go I could come with him. I won't deny that I was angry at first. My brother's murderer, asking me to go with him? When he knew the pain I had felt? Of course it didn't last. Sonic didn't know the truth at the time. He was fighting to protect the world he loved – this world. Would I still be alive if he had failed? _

_ So I did go with him. My body was very weak, and in fact still is, so it was a slow journey, but in time we made it. He introduced me to his friends – a genius fox named Tails, a hardheaded but loyal echidna named Knuckles, and a friendly, caring pink hedgehog named Amy. They were all so welcoming, and I slid into the group as if I had always belonged. _

_ I've been spending lots of time with them, especially Tails. When he learned I hailed from another dimension he was amazed, and asked me if he could talk with me and run some experiments. I was disinterested, and maybe a little insulted, until he told me that he hoped to find my home dimension from it all. I agreed in a heartbeat then. _

_ Why? Honestly, because I want to go back. It has a lot of painful memories for me, and the thought of returning terrifies me, but there's so much more there that I love with all my life. I have too many joyful memories to stay away from it. And I want to see if the people I love – my father, Mr. Ledale, and all the others – are still alive. I want to see what's happened to them. _

_ I haven't returned to Lost Hex either, but I intend to one day. I want to return to the forest and walk blindly through the foliage like I used to. I want to climb the mountains and see the auroras twinkling in the sky. I want to run through the lush, green fields and feel the wind brushing gently on my face. _

_ And most of all, I want to look for Demio. I know what Sonic said, but even so I can't truly surrender hope until I know for myself that Demio is forever lost. I don't care about the other five, but if Demio is still alive then I have no choice but to return. Not as a Zeti, but as an Altheuman. The way it should be._

**And that's all she wrote. Don't worry, it's quite over yet - I'm planning a separate epilogue for this story, which should be up in a few days (hopefully). Until then, please leave a review on the way out. **

**Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


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